Reaction-wheel



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H. J. SEIGNEURET.

REACTION WHEEL. NO. 364,866. Patented June 14, 1887.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES MW JW 1 em I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' H. J. SEIGNEURET.

WITNESSES: 7 f I 'INVENTOR: 46% M W 663% v BY 2 ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, PMIO-UMIZPMI. Washington, 0.6.

T EL H m Ev W GN w E SM 5 TUIR H Patented June 14, 1887 INVENTORWITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERS, Fhohz-Lilhognpher. Wahiq tm. I164 UNITE STATES PATENT Erica.

HIPPOLYTE JOSEPH SEIGNEURET, OF HENDERSON, MINNESOTA.

REACTION-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,866, dated June14-, 1887.

Application filed March 9, 1887. Serial No. 230,228. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIPPOLYTE J osnrn SEIGNEURET, of Henderson, in thecounty of Sibley and State of Minnesota, have invented a new andImproved Reaction-\Vheehof which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to a novel form of motor or gas engine whereinthe parts are so arranged that the force resulting from the 'eX- plosionof a small quantity of gas will operate upon and in connection with areaction-wheel that is so mounted that it may revolve and its power maybe transmitted in such manner as may be desired, the inventionconsisting, essentially, of a novel construction of the wheel proper, anovel means for combining gas and air necessary to produce theexplosion, a novel means for providing for the vaporizing of thehydrocarbon oil from which the gas is made, and a novel means forrelighting the exploding jet in case such jet should be extinguished atthe time of the explosion, all as will be hereinafter more fullydeseribed,and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of my improved form ofreactionwvheel. Fig. 2 is a central sectional plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on theline y y of Fig. 1. Fig.4is a detailed view illustrating the construction of one of thevalveoperating mechanisms. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, in partialcentral section, of a double reversible wheel, and Fig. 6 is across-sectional view taken on the line 220 a; of Fig. 5.

In constructing such a wheel and its connections, as is illustrated inFig.1, I provide a casing, 10, that is mounted upon bearings 11, andbetween abutments 12, the ends of the casing abutting" squarely againstsaid abutments 12, the joints between the two being practicallyair-tight joints.

At a point near one end of the casing 10 I arrange oneor more radialarms, 13, which said arms are formed with openings 14 at theiroverturned ends," as illustrated in Fig. 3, the arms represented in Fig.3 being practically the same in construction as those now under Twopipes, 2 and 3, which may be straight or coiled, pass through theabutments 12 and through the chamber 20 within the casing 10, one end ofthe pipe 2 being carried backward through a central opening, 4, formedin one of the abutments 12; and the corresponding end of the pipe3 isalso turned backward so to as enter a properly-located aperture that isformed in the bent end of the pipe 2, the two pipe ends being open,sothat there is praeticallya double concentric nozzle that is directedtoward the chamber 20. The valves are arranged in the bentends of thepipe 2 and 3, and the stems 5 of said valves are operated upon in amannerto be hereinafter described;

The pipe 3 leads upward to an oil tank or reservoir, 17, an injector,18, being arranged at the point where the pipe 3 branches off to soextend upward, andin the upwardly-extend ing branch 19 of the pipe 3there are arranged valves 21 and 22, between which valves the pipe 19 istapped byapipe, 23, that is provided with a stop cook or valve, 24, andthe end of this pipe 23 is coiled, as represented at 25, and arrangedwithin a casing, 26,v that is mounted above a bracket, 27, upon which alamp, 28, is supported.

The pipe 2 leads directly to the compressedair reservoir 30, and inconnection with this compressed-air reservoir I arrange a handpump, 31,and a power-pump, 32, the piston of the power-pump 32 being operated bya lever, 33, that is operated by an eccentric, 34, formed upon thecasing 10.

The casing 10 is formed with an opening, 6, beneath which there isarranged a burner, 35, said burner being supplied bya pipe, 36, whichleads to the storage tank or reservoir 17. The pipe 36 also suppliesaburner, 37, that is provided with a hood, 38, said hood being mountedin ways 39, and normally held in the position in which it is shown inFig. 3 by a spiral spring, 40; but the hood 38 extends upward within thepath of a cam, 42, that is carried by the case 10, so that as said caserevolves the hood will be moved upward against the tension of the spring40, so that its jet or flame will be directed over the burner 35, theparts being so timed that the burner will be ignited just prior to thetime when the opening 6 is brought into register with said burner.

Abalance-wheel, 50, is connected to the eas ing 10, and thisbalance-wheel may also serve as a pulley by which the power, derived aswill be hereinafter described, may be transmitted through the medium ofa belt to such point as may be desired. Upon one face of the wheel thereis formed a camfaced ridge, 51, against which there is held one end of arod, 52, said rod being mounted to slide above the casing 10, and beingheld in contact with the cam 51 by anyproper form of spring-l'orinstance, by such a spring as is shown at 53. The other end of the rod52 is connected to the valve-stcms5, the parts being so arranged thatjust as the opening 6 reaches the jet 35 the valves will be opened andthe pressure on the chamber 30 will force air outward through the.

nozzle of the tube 2, and a certain quantity of the gasified oilcontained within the tube 3 will also be carried outward and into thechamber 20.

Upon the outer faces of the arms 13 there is arranged a cam-ridge, 51,whieh operates upon a rod, 55, that controls valves located at theopposite ends of the tubes 2 and 3, and this rod is also connected withthe stem of the injector 18, the timing of the cams 51 and 51 being suchthat as one cam acts to close its valve the other will act to open thevalves arranged in connection with the rod upon which the cam operates.

In starting a motor or reaction wheel constructed as above described thelamp 28 is lighted, the valve 22 is closed, and the valves 21 and 2; areopened, thus permitting oil from the reservoir 17 to enter the coil 25,after which the valve 22 is opened, the injector 18 being at this timeopen. As the gas will then be made it will find its way downward andinto the pipe 3. The hand-pump 31 is operated, and after an initialsupply of gas has been generated by heating the oil within the coil 25the valve 21 is closed, when, if the jets 35 and 37 be lighted, thecombined air and gas forced through the chamber 20 will be eX- ploded,and the lighter gases generated by this explosion will find vent throughthe openings 14 of the arm 13, thereby forcing the arms and the casingin the direction of the arrow shown in connect-ion therewith in Fig. 3,this movement being brought about by the recoil resulting from theexplosion.

The heat generated by the explosion within the chamber 20 will be foundto be sufficient to vaporize the oil within the tube 3, so that at eachopening of the valve located near the nozzle of the pipe 2 a certainquantity of gas will find its way into the chamber 20, to be exploded bythe action of the jet 35 when the opening 6 comes in register with thesaid jet; but just before said opening does come'in register with thejet the cam 42 will have acted to throw the hood 38 back, so that theflame of the jet 37 will. be free to impinge against the tip of theburner 35, the hood being forced backward to a position to shield thejet 37 prior to the explosion within the chamber 20.

InFigs. 5 and 6 I illustrate a construction wherein the casing 10 isprovided at each end with wheels, each formed with two sets of arms, oneset of arms being shown at 13, while the other is shown at 13. The arms13 open into an annular chamber that is separated by a wall, 60, from acentral cylindrical chamber, 61, with which the arms 13 communicate. Inthis case the arms 13 and 13 are held to the casing 10 by a centralshaft, 62, upon each end of which there is mounted a wheel, 63, whichwheels may be balance-wheels or wheels upon which the motor is supportedwhen used as a traction engine or motor. In this kind of engine thecasing 10 is fixed to atruck or foundation and does not revolve; but thewheels, being attached to the arms, follow them in their revolutions. Acentral disk, 61, is fitted to the inner face of each set of arms, andthis disk is held against a disk, 65, that is made integral with thecasing 10. The disk 64 is movable, and is provided with a handle, 75,and in this disk 61 there are arranged two sets of apertures, one set ofapertures being arranged so that they may be thrown into register with acorresponding set of apertures formed in the disk 65, wherebycommunication with the chamber 61 will be established, while the secondset of apertures in the disk 61 may be thrown into register with anotherset of apertures formed in the disk 65, so as to establisheomn'iunication between the chamber 20 and the annular chamber beyondthe wall 60. The pipes 2 and 3 in this case are led in through the wallsof the casing 10, instead of through the ends thereof, and are coiledwithin the chamber resting against the inner faces of the walls thereof,both pipes being finally carried outward and then upward to enter thechamber in the form of a double nozzle, as is shown at a. The valvesarranged in connection with the nozzle are in this case acted upon by astem, 67, that is thrown by a cam, 68, that is arranged as is clearlyshown in Fig. 5, while the injector and the valves arranged inconnection with the pipes at points between the reservoir and the caseare operated by a rod, 69, that is thrown by a cam, 70, carried by theother set of arms. The forcepump by which the air-compressor is chargedis in this case operated by an eccentric groove, 71, within which groovethere rides a projection from a slide that is connected to the lover ofthe force-pump.

IVith such a construction as has just been described, it will be seenthat by shifting the position of the disk (ll, which may be done bythrowing its handle 75, communication with either the arms 13 or thearms 13 may be established, so that the direction of rotation of thearms and the wheels arranged in connection therewith may be reversed,the direction of rotation depending upon which set of arms the productsof the explosion are travel, can also be fitted to a double-paddlewheelboat by so adjusting the parts that the explosion will take place onlywhile the orifices also be fitted to ascrew'propeller.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a casing having a chamber, of a means forsupplying air and gas thereto, a means for exploding the gas thereimandrevoluble tubes open at one side only, said tubes being secured tothechamber andin communication therewith, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with a revoluble case having an inner chamber andone or more extending arms, the extending portions of which are open atone side only, of a gas-supplying attachment and a gas-explodingattachment, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. The combination, with a revoluble casing having an inner chamber andone or more.

arms extending outward at an angle to the axis of the casing and open atone side only' chamber within the casing, gas and air snp-.

plying tubes leading through the chamber, andan igniting-jet arranged inconnection Wil3h an aperture formed in the casing, valves arranged inconnection with the supply-pipes, and a valve-operating mechanism,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a revolublymounted casing, of abutmentsarranged in con- It can nection therewith, hollow tubes or arms that aremounted so as to be in communication with the chamber within the casing,valves connected to the arms and arranged to close their outer openends, tubes leading through the abutments and through the chamber withinthe revoluble casing, valves. arranged in connection with the tubes, atvalve-operating mechanism, substantially as described, an igniting-jet,a protected jet arranged in connection with the igniting-jet, and ameans for establishing communication between the protected jet andtheigniting-jet, substantially as set forth. 7

6. The combination, with a casing, 10, formed with an aperture, 6, andmounted in bearings 11 and between abutments 12, of a hood mounted toslide beneath the casing, a spring arranged in connection with the hood,a cam carried by the casing and arranged so that'itmay be thrown againstthe hood, a burner, 37, mounted within the hood, an igniting-burner, 35,mounted outside of the hood, hollow arms or tubes carried by the casing,said arms being open at oneside only, and a means for supplying combinedgas and air to the interior of the casing, substantially as shown anddescribed.

7. The combination, with a revolubly mounted casing, 10, having arms 13,the cx-- tending portions of which are open at one side only, said armsbeing in communication with a chamber within the casing, of gas and airtubes leading through said chamber, a coil,

25, wherebyan initial supply of gas is ob tained, a storage-reservoir inconnection with the air-supply pipe, a means for supplying the air tosaid reservoir, an oil-supply tankin connection with the gas-supplypipe, and a means, substantially as described, for igniting the gaswithin the chamber, as and for the purpose stated.

HIIPOLYTE JOSEPH SEIGNEURET.

WVitnesses:

PETER MORGAN, HERMANN OHDE.

